Data Import - PhotoFlow

Overview

PhotoFlow provides CSV import functionality to help you:

Migrate existing data from spreadsheets or other systems
Bulk operations - Import many tasks at once
Data portability - Move data between PhotoFlow instances

CSV export is not yet implemented. For backups, use database backups or manual export methods described in this guide.

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is a universal format that works with Excel, Google Sheets, and virtually any spreadsheet application.

CSV Import

Import tasks in bulk from a CSV file.

CSV File Format

Your CSV file should follow this structure:

id,task,dueAt,status,additional_information,is_finished,taskColumn
1,"Wedding Photography - Smith Family",2026-03-15,"In Progress","Outdoor ceremony at Grand Hall",false,1
2,"Portrait Session - Johnson",2026-03-20,"Scheduled","Studio session, family of 4",false,1
3,"Event Photography - Corporate Gala",2026-03-25,"Editing","500+ guests, requires fast turnaround",false,2

Column definitions:

Column	Type	Description	Example
`id`	Number	Task ID (can be blank for new tasks)	1
`task`	String	Task name/title	”Wedding Photography - Smith”
`dueAt`	Date	Due date in ISO format	2026-03-15
`status`	String	Current status	”In Progress”
`additional_information`	String	Task description	”Outdoor ceremony, 100 guests”
`is_finished`	Boolean	Completion status	false
`taskColumn`	String	Column/stage ID	1

The first row (header row) is automatically skipped during import. Ensure your data starts on row 2.

Import Process

Prepare CSV File

Create or export your CSV file following the format above. Ensure:

Dates are in YYYY-MM-DD format
Boolean values are lowercase: true or false
Text with commas is enclosed in quotes
File is UTF-8 encoded

Access Import Functionality

Navigate to the import page or section in PhotoFlow (typically in settings or task management area).

Upload CSV File

Select your CSV file for upload. The application will parse and validate the file.

Review and Confirm

Review the tasks to be imported. Confirm when ready.

Import Completes

Tasks are created in the database and appear on your Kanban board.

Import API

Import tasks programmatically:

POST /api/importcsv

Request Body:
{
  "file": [
    ["id", "task", "dueAt", "status", "additional_information", "is_finished", "taskColumn"],
    ["1", "Wedding - Smith", "2026-03-15", "In Progress", "Outdoor ceremony", "false", "1"],
    ["2", "Portrait - Johnson", "2026-03-20", "Scheduled", "Family of 4", "false", "1"]
  ]
}

Response:
"Successful!"

API Implementation

The import endpoint is in src/routes/api/(exportimport)/importcsv/+server.ts:

export const POST: RequestHandler = async ({ request }) => {
  try {
    const file = await request.json();
    file.file.shift();  // Remove header row

    const query = file.file.map((item: any) => {
      return {
        dueAt: new Date(item[2]),
        task: item[1],
        additional_information: item[4],
        taskColumn: item[6],
        is_finished: item[5] === 'true' ? true : false,
        status: item[3]
      };
    });

    for (let i = 0; i < query.length; i++) {
      await prisma.tasks.create({
        data: query[i]
      });
    }
    return json('Successful!');
  } catch {
    return json('Invalid!');
  }
};

What the import does:

Removes the header row
Maps CSV columns to task fields
Converts date strings to Date objects
Converts string “true”/“false” to boolean
Creates each task in the database sequentially

The import creates NEW tasks. It does not update existing tasks. If you want to update tasks, you’ll need to delete the old ones first or modify the import logic.

CSV Export

CSV export functionality is currently under development. The export helper functions exist in the codebase (src/lib/utils/db-export-import/export.ts) but are not yet fully implemented with a UI or API endpoint.

Manual Export Alternative

Until the export feature is completed, you can export data manually using Prisma Studio or direct database queries: Using Prisma Studio:

npx prisma studio

Then select the Tasks table and use the export feature built into Prisma Studio. Using PostgreSQL:

# Export tasks to CSV
psql -d photoflow -c "COPY tasks TO '/path/to/tasks.csv' WITH CSV HEADER;"

# Export comments to CSV
psql -d photoflow -c "COPY task_comments TO '/path/to/comments.csv' WITH CSV HEADER;"

Expected Export Format: When export is implemented, it will include all task fields:

id,task,dueAt,status,additional_information,is_finished,taskColumn,created_at,amount_of_comments
1,"Wedding - Smith",2026-03-15T00:00:00.000Z,"In Progress","Outdoor ceremony",false,1,2026-03-01T10:30:00.000Z,3

Use Cases

Initial Setup

Import existing orders from spreadsheets when first deploying PhotoFlow.

Regular Backups

Use database backups or Prisma Studio exports for regular backups.

Reporting

Export data for analysis using Prisma Studio or database queries.

Migration

Move tasks between different PhotoFlow instances or environments.

Archiving

Export and delete old finished tasks to keep the database lean.

Data Integration

Integrate with other systems that accept CSV imports.

Working with CSV Files

Creating CSV Files

In Excel/Google Sheets:

Enter your data in columns matching the required format
File > Save As > Choose “CSV (Comma delimited)”
Ensure UTF-8 encoding if prompted

Programmatically (JavaScript): PhotoFlow uses the PapaParse library for CSV handling:

import Papa from 'papaparse';

// Parse CSV
const parsed = Papa.parse(csvString, {
  header: true,
  dynamicTyping: true
});

// Generate CSV
const csv = Papa.unparse(tasksArray);

Editing CSV Files

Best practices:

Use a proper CSV editor or spreadsheet application
Don’t edit in basic text editors (easy to break formatting)
Keep quotes around text with commas or special characters
Use ISO date format (YYYY-MM-DD) for consistency
Don’t include formulas - export values only

Special Characters

Handle special characters properly:

task,description
"Wedding with ""quotes""","Ceremony, reception, and dancing"
"Line break","First line
Second line"

Quotes inside quoted fields: Use double quotes ("")
Commas in values: Enclose the entire value in quotes
Line breaks: Enclose in quotes (though not recommended)

Bulk Operations

Import Large Datasets

For importing hundreds or thousands of tasks:

Prepare Data

Clean and validate your CSV file:

Remove duplicate entries
Ensure all dates are valid
Verify column IDs exist
Check for missing required fields

Test with Small Sample

Import a few rows first to verify format is correct.

Import in Batches

If possible, import in chunks of 100-500 rows to avoid timeouts.

Verify Results

Check the Kanban board and database to ensure all tasks imported correctly.

Large imports may take several minutes. Don’t refresh the page or close the browser during import.

Performance Considerations

The current implementation imports tasks sequentially:

for (let i = 0; i < query.length; i++) {
  await prisma.tasks.create({ data: query[i] });
}

For better performance with large imports, consider:

Using prisma.tasks.createMany() for batch inserts
Processing in parallel with Promise.all()
Implementing progress tracking
Adding validation before import

Data Validation

Required Fields

Ensure your CSV includes:

task - Task name (required)
dueAt - Due date (required)
status - Status string
taskColumn - Valid column ID

Date Validation

Dates must be in a format that JavaScript’s new Date() can parse: Valid formats:

2026-03-15
2026-03-15T10:30:00
2026-03-15T10:30:00.000Z
03/15/2026  (but ISO format is preferred)

Invalid formats:

15-03-2026
15/03/2026
March 15, 2026

Column Validation

Ensure taskColumn values match your board configuration. Invalid column IDs will cause tasks to not appear correctly.

Error Handling

If import fails:

'Invalid!' response

The catch block returns “Invalid!” for any error. Common causes:

Malformed CSV structure
Invalid date formats
Missing required fields
Database connection issues

Check server logs for detailed error messages.

Partial import

If some tasks import but others fail:

The current implementation doesn’t use transactions
Successfully imported tasks remain in database
Failed tasks are skipped
Review the CSV for issues in failed rows

Duplicate tasks

Running the same import twice creates duplicate tasks. To avoid:

Export current tasks first
Compare IDs
Delete duplicates manually if needed

Backup Strategy

Since CSV export is not yet implemented, use database backups:

Regular Database Backups

Schedule regular PostgreSQL backups (weekly or monthly):

# Example backup script
pg_dump photoflow > backup_$(date +%Y%m%d).sql

Store Securely

Save backups in multiple locations:

Local server storage
Network attached storage
Cloud storage (encrypted)
External hard drive

Test Restoration

Periodically test restoring backups to ensure they’re valid.

Keep Multiple Versions

Retain backups from multiple time periods (daily, weekly, monthly).

See Production Checklist for comprehensive backup best practices.

Troubleshooting

Import fails silently

Check browser console for errors
Verify CSV format matches expected structure
Review server logs for detailed error messages
Test with a minimal CSV (1-2 rows)

Dates import incorrectly

Use ISO format: YYYY-MM-DD
Check timezone handling
Ensure dates are valid (no Feb 30th, etc.)

Special characters appear garbled

Ensure CSV is UTF-8 encoded
Check for BOM (Byte Order Mark) issues
Test with ASCII-only characters first

Tasks don't appear on board

Verify taskColumn values are valid
Check if tasks are marked is_finished: true
Refresh the browser
Check database directly with Prisma Studio

Next Steps

Task Management

Learn about managing tasks after import

Database Setup

Understand the database schema

Production Checklist

Backup strategies and best practices

Kanban Board

View and manage imported tasks

Get Started

Installation

Core Features

Configuration

Deployment

​Overview

​CSV Import

​CSV File Format

​Import Process

​Import API

​API Implementation

​CSV Export

​Manual Export Alternative

​Use Cases

Initial Setup

Regular Backups

Reporting

Migration

Archiving

Data Integration

​Working with CSV Files

​Creating CSV Files

​Editing CSV Files

​Special Characters

​Bulk Operations

​Import Large Datasets

​Performance Considerations

​Data Validation

​Required Fields

​Date Validation

​Column Validation

​Error Handling

​Backup Strategy

​Troubleshooting

​Next Steps

Task Management

Database Setup

Production Checklist

Kanban Board

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

CSV Import

CSV File Format

Import Process

Import API

API Implementation

CSV Export

Manual Export Alternative

Use Cases

Working with CSV Files

Creating CSV Files

Editing CSV Files

Special Characters

Bulk Operations

Import Large Datasets

Performance Considerations

Data Validation

Required Fields

Date Validation

Column Validation

Error Handling

Backup Strategy

Troubleshooting

Next Steps